Figure 1.

Production of IL-8 by ECV-304 cells, a cell line with endothelial cell characteristics (A), and transendothelial migration of neutrophils (B) in response to treatment with 10% plasma from normal nonpregnant (NNP), normal pregnant (NP) and preeclamptic (PE) women using the Transwell system. Cells were grown to confluence on Transwell inserts containing pores 3 microns in diameter in 24-well culture plates creating an upper chamber and lower chamber separated by the confluence of the cells on the insert. Cells were incubated with plasma treatments for 4 hours and then ⁵¹Cr-labeled neutrophils were added to the upper chamber. After 2 hours, media in the lower chamber was collected for IL-8 determination and the % of neutrophils that migrated from the upper to lower chamber was calculated. Cells incubated with PE produced more IL-8 and had more neutrophil migration than medium control or cells incubated with NNP or NP. Neutrophil migration to PE was inhibited if cells were pretreated for 24 hours with vitamins E and C or co-incubated with IL-8 neutralizing antibody. a, significantly higher than medium control, P < 0.05; b, significantly higher than NP or NNP, P < 0.01; c, significantly lower than PE, P < 0.01. Data represent mean ± SE, n = 6 independent experiments with treatments run in duplicate.